Children in the Wilderness Botswana held its annual camps at the beginning of December, hosting two groups back-to-back. The first group flew from Maun to camp and were very excited and happy to have flown. The camper’s left Tubu village early in the morning to catch the flight at Maun International Airport while the second group were from Sankoyo and Shashe Primary School. They were all met by Derrick Mambo – one of our super mentors in OWS Maun office to see them off at Maun International Airport as they were leaving for camp on the 6th December. The children did not stop talking about the flight and their pilots in camp.
Each school who participated in the camp had to put a project together. The topic for this year was in relation with the Global March for Rhinos, Elephants, Lions and Pangolins which took place a few months ago. The Walk for Rhinos campaign continued in the northwest district of Botswana and took the whole month of November. This walk covered the villages we were hosting on camp and that is why we wanted to involve children also in raising the awareness through their school projects.
CITW Botswana was privileged to host the campers with one of the American Embassy representative, Mrs. Adela Renna, Mary-Anne from Wilderness Safaris in Johannesburg and Kesotlegile Ramogapedi – one of the ex-campers. Adela did a presentation on National Parks in USA and the children were very excited as she was showing them pictures of the national parks there, which are quite different to ours in Africa. It was an interesting thing to have Kesotlegile in camp, as he was doing a good job in attending to campers and Mentors who needed medical attention in camp as he is a student nurse.
The main objectives of the camp wereto teach children about:
- The Okavango Delta through a Delta Talk: children do not have knowledge about their beautiful surroundings
- Mammals, food chain, food web: to improve children’s science knowledge
- Bird adaptations, flight stations, different bird shaped feet, favourite birds: so that children have knowledge about birds at early ages since birds and animals attract tourists in our country.
- Game drives: Most of children in Botswana do not know different species we have in the country, CITW offer them game drives so that guides can teach and show them different animal, bird and tree species in Botswana and their importance.
- Sports: children had time to play, football, and traditional games: CITW realised that most of the children at home and schools do not have the opportunity to learn different games which can help them not to be involved in bad behaviours as they will be fully occupied by playing different games that will teach them about the importance of team work and supporting each other.
- Photography: encourages children to shoot animals with camera not guns.
